Health is Wealth

JAK Inhibitors Show Promise for Alopecia, Eczema, Vitiligo

In a recent retrospective study of 90 adults with severe alopecia areata (at least 40% scalp hair loss) who were treated for 4 to 18 months with tofacitinib, 20% had nearly total hair regrowth, 58% had more than 50% regrowth, and 77% had some regrowth (J Am Acad Dermatol. 2017;76:22-28).

And in a retrospective study of adolescents with severe alopecia who were treated with tofacitinib, the median change in Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score was 93% (mean, 61%) in nine of the 13 study participants after an average of 6.5 months of treatment. Tofacitinib was well tolerated, and there were no serious adverse effects, Dr King reported.

Tofacitinib does not improve male pattern baldness, and it is “important to note that not all people respond,” he explained. And adverse effects have included acne eruption and weight gain, he added.